Above: Taking first place at the 2014 Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo was the Jackson Energy Team 2 of (l to r) Kris Cunagin, Jeremy Rayborn and Royce Baker. Rayborn and Baker are both graduates of the Somerset Community College Lineman Training Center (LTC). Twenty-four LTC graduates participated in the event, many winning various honors.

Above: Taking individual first place honors at the 2014 Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo was John Tillery of Jackson Energy. Tillery is a graduates of the Somerset Community College Lineman Training Center (LTC). Twenty-four LTC graduates participated in the event, many winning various honors.

Jackson Energy employees and Somerset Community College Lineman Training Center graduates participated in the 2014 Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo in Danville, Kentucky this summer, with two graduates bringing home first place overall in the team category and one graduate bringing home the individual trophy.

Lineman Training Center grads Jeremy Rayborn and Royce Baker teamed with Kris Cunagin to bring home the first place overall trophy in the team category. John Tillery, also a SCC graduate, brought home top overall individual honors. Rayborn, Baker, Cunagin and Tillery all work for Jackson Energy.

According to the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (KAEC), the 2014 rodeo had the largest amount of competitors.

“The rodeo, sponsored by KAEC’s Safety and Loss Prevention, saw 103 apprentice and journeyman linemen competing in the name of safety and the coveted United Utility Supply silver transformer,” the KAEC website said. “Fifty-seven judges were also on hand making sure safety procedures were followed during each of the competitions: hurtman, crossarm, lightning arrester and two mystery events. Twenty-one of Kentucky’s electric cooperatives were involved in the rodeo this year either as competitors or judges or clerks.”

Twenty-four of those competitors were graduates from the Somerset Community College program, with many of them taking home individual and team honors.
The Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo is a competition organized by the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives that showcases the talents of the power lineman.